The Vine, The Source

I am the vine; you are the branches.  No one can produce fruit unless he remains on the vine.  Without me, you can do nothing.

Every one of us wants our life to be meaningful, to produce "fruit that will last," in the words of Jesus.  We strive to be "good," but the problem is that by ourselves, we cannot always tell what is good and what is not.  There are rules and guidelines, but even they must at time be broken and side-stepped.   And there are times when our best efforts are ineffective. 

There is only One Person who embodied the wisdom, righteousness, and holiness of God, only One who can establish on earth the kingdom of God's Presence---and that is the Christ.  Fortunately, He made His Presence available to each one of us through the power of the Holy Spirit.  What we cannot do of ourselves, He is willing to do in us.  All He asks is that we remain in Him---these are the new "rules," if you will:  Remain in Me, and you will bear fruit that will last. 

The question each one of us must ask ourselves is not, "What should I do?" but only, "How do I remain in Jesus?"